Kids Sea Camp Archieven - Page 8 of 10

How Kids Sea Camp has changed my life

15 July 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Life-changing moments at Kids Sea Camp happen every day

Kids Sea Camp is one of the greatest programs I have ever participated in. The week is a wonderful, life-changing event like nothing I have ever seen. I thoroughly enjoy seeing young kids learn to dive right next to their parents and siblings. It has enriched my life greatly because, through Kids Sea Camp, I have learned amazing skills, met new friends, and grown closer to my family.

Kids Sea Camp, life-changing, kids and diving, family vacations

The first reason Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life is the skills I have learned each camp week. My first trip was Grand Cayman, where I learned proper diving techniques, and how vital underwater conservation is. I discovered underwater photography and first aid skills. In 2016, I became a Dive Master at Buddy Dive, Bonaire Kids Sea Camp week with Woody Tinsley. I learned about the science behind diving, what people look for in a leader, how to deal with people in distress, and I learned so many new skills and how to teach them. The knowledge I have gained at Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life.

Another reason is the friends I have met each year. Thanks to Kids Sea Camp, I have friends all over the world. I have met many amazing people at Kids Sea Camp and made more amazing memories than I can count. There are always other kids my age, and diving with other kids is so much fun. It is easy to make new friends, but I enjoy creating exciting new memories with my family and other adult divers. An example of that is when Tom Peyton and I were in Fiji, we kept all the families and kids entertained and had fun with me playing the guitar and him singing. There is even a Karaoke night on the KSC weeks. We also played volleyball every afternoon.

One of my favorite Kids Sea Camp Instructors is Woody Tinsley, he is hilarious and so much fun. Woody teaches the Zombie Apocalypse PADI course and was my Instructor for my PADI Dive Master Course. Mr. Tinsley made sure that I learned every skill perfectly. He is the kind of instructor I hope to be like one day. Woody is only one of the instructors on the great team at Kids Sea Camp. I can honestly say some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, I met through Kids Sea Camp.

The final reason Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life is that it has helped me grow closer to my own family through travel and diving together. At our first Kids Sea Camp, my sister had never dived before and had no interest in learning. I was able to convince her to try to overcome her fear. After she was certified, she, I, and our whole family love diving and traveling with Kids Sea Camp and Margo & Tom.

“My life is forever changed and enriched because of Kids Sea Camp and I love to travel and dive and will continue to do so for many more years to come. I hope to become a dive instructor and work for Kids Sea Camp so I can become a part of enriching other people lives too. Kids Sea Camp is truly life-changing!” — James Devinney

What is even more special in my eyes is being able to dive with my little brother, Jason. He has a passion for the sport, just like the rest of our family, and there is nowhere else in the world I can think of that will teach someone his age to dive. Jason is currently a PADI Seal and gets to dive in the ocean with the Kids Sea Camp. We would have usually had to split up our family and not have been able to include Jason. At Kids Sea Camp, I get to dive with my little brother and the whole family together. So, Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life and my entire family’s lives.

Any family would clearly see how amazing Kids Sea Camp is. I think it’s one of the most fantastic family vacations in the world! It gets families to unplug and reconnect with each other through adventure and fun. It makes me grateful for my family and the smiles and memories we create together. I wish there were more people like Tom and Margo because they make the world a better place. Margo has a passion for kids, diving, and the ocean, and she loves teaching kids and family members to dive and love the ocean from the age of 5.

By James Devinney

Fiji time and Kids Sea Camp magic

22 October 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Fiji: The reunion tour 2015!

It has been a while since Margo and I were in Fiji. We were there in 2009 at the wonderful Castaway Island resort on the Island of Malolo. Fiji was the start of this grand Kids Sea Camp adventure, Margo, and I have been on since we met ten years ago this coming February. It is our honeymoon island.

Margo and Tom Peyton celebrated their first year in Fiji in 2007 at the Castaway Resort. For Tom, a lot fewer gray hairs and wrinkles eight years ago. Margo, an amazing ageless wonder still looks gorgeous today.

Fiji is a cherished place for us. A place of deep connectivity to the vast blue vistas and complete centering silence of the islands. It is, indeed, a special trip for the Peytons. It is a place where time seems to slow way down, you stop worrying, you ponder the distant future far less, you enjoy the sunset just a little bit more, and you can feel the stress of our normal, crazy everyday life leaving your body. Margo and I call this phenomenon “Fiji Time.”

Margo has also called it “kava time” but that a whole different story.

Fiji is also a smile factory — as the Fijians always seem to be happy, so helpful and incredibly gracious to the visitors that travel to their stunning country. In fact, “welcome home” is a common phrase the Islanders use in their first greetings to tourists.

“Welcome Home,” how many times have you used that phrase when strangers arrive in your abode — probably very not often. And like a “home away from home,” it has a habit of creating connecting points that change the “vacation” to something much larger — something deeper. I have lost track how many Kids Sea Camp families have left Fiji with tears in their eyes. Tears of joy of being so welcomed by the Fijian people. Tears of a remembering of how good we all can be — if we try — just a little. It is a special place for our KSC families.

And as the countdown in the office starts for the new Fiji week at Beqa Lagoon Resort this year. I can’t stop myself from hoping and wondering if “Fiji Time” will sweep over the two KSC weeks and make some more Kids Sea Camp magic. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp

Tips for better buoyancy and air consumption

14 May 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Buoyancy, Kids Sea camp, scuba training for kids

Keys to better diving

Good buoyancy is key. Make sure you are neutrally buoyant, trim your gear so nothing is hanging or dragging below you, and try to evenly distribute your weights. 4lb on the left, then 4lb on the right. Move them around, ankle weights are also used, I use 1lb on each ankle when diving with my camera. Some BC’s, like my ScubaPro Lady Hawk, have pockets up high in the back. I often put a 1 lb in each of those pockets. A Peak performance buoyancy class will be a fun continuing education class, as it will teach you more about good buoyancy control.
Breathe slowly and deeply when you’re diving; don’t ever hold your breath. Short and shallow breaths can be dangerous and create dead air spaces.

Gear is important

Streamline your gear and have property-fitting equipment, nothing dangling or dragging. Make sure your equipment is in good working order and has been serviced regularly by your local dive shop.
Use proper kick cycles and don’t swim while diving (no hands needed). Make sure you’re using Scuba fins, not snorkel fins. Dive fins should be longer and fit comfortably. Go to your local dive shop and try on a few pairs. Some adults like me prefer full-foot fins; for kids, I recommend fins with straps for growing feet.
Make sure to be suited up as conditions dictate. Stay warm, choices of a shorty or long wet-suit, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mml and more are available depending on the temperature of the water your diving. In the Galapagos, I use a 5- or 7-mm long suit; in Bonaire, I use a 2-mm shorty. New wetsuits are more buoyant than older ones, and thickness makes a big difference as well. The thicker the suit, the more weight is needed. Long suits will require more weight than a shorty.

Be in good condition

Be in good physical health, and never dive when you’re not feeling well. Always consult your doctor about any medications you’re taking, as they could have different effects while diving. Make sure to fill out waivers truthfully so that, if something does happen, it will be easier to determine what is going on and to provide help faster and more efficiently.
Dive often. The more you dive, the more confident and comfortable you will become, and buoyancy will become easier.

Be a good buddy

Stay close to your buddy. Constantly chasing your buddy can use up more air on a dive and create stress.
Dive into a current at the start of a dive when you are not tired, so you can then dive with the current returning at the end of your dive. Make sure not to dive in strong currents. Check with your local dive shop or dive professional before entering the water to determine safe dive conditions. Always let someone know you are going diving, and never dive alone.

Relax, it’s just diving

Relax, enjoy your dive. Take only photos, leave only bubbles. Observe marine life and don’t touch anything living.
Take an advanced open water class, which covers a navigation dive, a deep dive, a buoyancy dive, a night dive, a photography dive, and a Fish ID dive. All of which will make you feel more confident in your direction, buoyancy, and knowledge of marine life, allowing you to feel more comfortable diving. There are other specialty dives you can take in an Advanced Open Water Class, such as Underwater Naturalist, Wreck, or even zombie dives. Visit www.padi.com for more information about courses.
Don’t overthink air consumption; the more you think about it, the more anxious you become, and the fewer chances there are for relaxation.
Take your family diving and enjoy diving with your kids. They will look to you as role models and strive to dive as you do. Be a good role model.

Have fun and be safe! I look forward to diving with you.

by Margo Peyton, President of Kids Sea Camp, PADI Instructor #57474

Travel Channel loves Kids Sea Camp

3 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Kids and scuba, best dive vacations, kids sea camp, travel channel

Travel Channel: Kids Sea Camp is one of the best adventures in the world.

Kids Sea Camp at Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia was named one of the “best family adventures” in 2015 by the Travel Channel. Kids Sea Camp is not only for divers. Our week is just a great family vacation.

The Travel Channel: Families from around the world who share a love for the ocean should head to St. Lucia for an unforgettable vacation at Kids Sea Camp. Family Dive Adventures offers this 6-day/7-night itinerary, hosted by the top-ranked resort Anse Chastanet, which provides the best accommodations, fine dining, and activities on the island.

“That’s as young as 10 years old can acquire certification to scuba dive. Even Four-year-olds can get in the water at Kids Sea Camp,” says Rainer Jenss, president and founder of the Family Travel Association.

“That’s great news for parents who thought they’d have to give up diving when the kids were born.” In between dives, guests can hike through an 18th-century ruin of an old sugar plantation or take a ride on a mountain bike through the rainforest.

Kids Sea Camp is Elite!

8 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

. . .and so is Margo Peyton

Margo Peyton has been awarded a PADI Elite Instructor award for 2014. To receive the award, an instructor must have over 150 certifications during the calendar year. PADI’s award is in recognition of outstanding accomplishment in PADI Diver Training. The number of certifications attained by Margo during the Kids Sea Camp training weeks was 282 in 2014. Kids Sea Camp contributed 402 new certifications in 2014, bringing the running 14-year total to 5402. That’s a lot of new divers!

“I’m honored that PADI is seeing all the wonderful work we are doing, getting children and their families diving together. It’s a personal joy of mine. I would love to get everyone I meet under the water and experience diving. I can honestly say I think everyone would be a happier and healthier person if they all learned to dive.

Margo Peyton is awarded her first PADI Elite Dive Instructor award.

I also want to thank PADI for all the support since the very beginning of Kids Sea Camp, some 15 years ago. They have also been there for me and my little company, helping us in any way they can.”

Margo Peyton, founder and owner of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures

Kids Sea Camp in the Top 10!

15 July 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp in USA Today’s 10 best!

KSC is ranked number #2 in a recent USA Today poll of the most thrilling camps in the world! We are ranked among the best adventures for the tiniest travelers. From the offices of Kids Sea Camp, we would add that the biggest travelers also enjoy the camps.

Because we’re all kids at a Kids Sea Camp week! The online article mentions Bonaire, Buddy Dive only — but we all know how many weeks and the islands we go to over the course of the year. All the weeks are great for the diving family on holiday.

Our families have always known KSC as the best-kept secret in the world, but no more. The public has voted! Kids Sea Camp is a perfect vacation you can take your family!

Kids Sea Camp was also named one of the “Top 10 in the world for families” by the Travel Channel in 2015.

See what NBC had to say about us! (See link)

Toothpaste and new dive mask

22 October 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Preparing a new dive mask

The foggy mask: I had a client buy a new dive mask this week, and I told him to make sure to rub toothpaste on both sides of the mask lens before jumping into the water. It will help prevent the lens from fogging up.

He then asked a very simple question, “Why?”

I had no answer for him—I said it was tradition. He then asked, “But why is it the tradition?

I smiled and thought to myself how living with a Hall of Famer who really is a diving professor, Professor Margo of the department of Oceanic Adventures at Kids Sea Camp, makes me a little dumb at times. I have watched Margo put toothpaste in our new dive masks for years — she even puts it in the old ones at the beginning of the summer. And the dumb part — I never once asked why. Not once did I ask why we are putting something I put on my teeth every day on an item that has no teeth? I just knew that when she didn’t use the toothpaste, my mask would fog up — very quickly — and I hate a foggy mask.

One good thing about myself is that once I realize just how stupid I’m acting or thinking, I tend correct my behavior, and I do this by gathering information. So here’s why my Oceanic Professor puts toothpaste on the lens of our mask almost every year, at the beginning of our diving season— new or not.

Toothpaste is a mild abrasive

Most newer masks, frames, skirts, and straps are made of silicone, which creates a film on the mask’s lens. The film on the lens blocks the defog from working properly. In fact, if the silicone residue is not removed, any amount of defogging work on the lens.

After the toothpaste

After you have cleaned off the toothpaste and you are heading to the boat, make sure to have some defog. There are many brands, and with the silicon residue removed, most of them will work. The fact of the matter is, all the dive boats have some form of defog, though most use a watered-down J&J baby shampoo.

Other forms of defogging

Spit: Real divers don’t use defog; they spend a lot of time draining their mouths, building up a large quantity of saliva, and projecting it into their masks. Many divers say this is the best form of defog, but the idea of my eyes breathing in all the wonderful germs from my mouth — just doesn’t work for me.

SeaDrops: Clean, quick, and easy to use — a few drops on the inside and the outside of the mask has gotten me close to a decade of “no fog” mask. Just remember to wash the drops out right before you jump off the boat. If you don’t clean the drops out of the mask properly, you could experience a severe burning sensation in your eyes — and the eye burn can really ruin a great dive. Why? Because all defog is a form of soap. That’s why most dive boats and shops use J&J Baby Shampoo — it’s easier on the eyes.

Burn it off: Don’t do this at home unless you know a professional mask burner who has done it many times. You are basically burning off the thin film that protects the new lens. The danger, of course, is burning the entire soft silicone that makes your new mask so darn comfortable.

After the dive

Hit the dunk tank: Make sure you use freshwater to clean off all your dive equipment. Almost all our family of divers dunk their BCs in the sweetwater tub, but I have watched numerous divers forgo a quick rinse of their fins, mask, snorkel, and wetsuit. Remember, a clean mask doesn’t fog up as much, and clean gear lasts longer.

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures

Kids Sea Camp fuels Zebedee Wakely’s love of photography

22 October 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Photography: It started out as a faint dream, now it’s a full-blown passion

Article by Zebedee Wakely, Junior Master Scuba Diver, Age 13, and FDA approved.

FDA: Family Dive Adventures (not to be confused with the Food and Drug Administration)

I just don’t know where to begin with this. Kids Sea Camp is just too big and too great to even attempt to write about. But here you are now, attempting to read my jumbled mess of ideas and thoughts, so I’ll give it a go — no promises though.

I should probably start with the exciting stuff, like where I backward roll into a school of 50-plus sharks in Yap (the country, not the small annoying noise made by dogs) or when I’m charging at top speed through the current of Ulong Channel in Palau, but instead I’ll start at the beginning.

Kids Sea Camp at age five

At the age of five, I started Kids Sea Camping, and my parents signed me up in the group known as “SASY”. Little kids get to put on scuba gear, but substitute a Life Jacket for the BCD so we float on the surface while breathing through a regulator. This gave me my first experience with Scuba Diving.

Since I was already a water baby by six months and swimming by one, I thought Kids Sea Camp was created just for me. Quickly making my way through the dive ranks, I again returned for Seal Team. This was a landmark in my interest in Scuba Diving.

Seal Team is a program for eight- and nine-year-olds to learn to dive in a confined-water environment. However, with Kids Sea Camp, the Seal Team can dive in the ocean.

I just fell in love with diving

On my tenth birthday, my mom and dad chose Yap & Palau for our family adventure, and that’s where the real story begins. The experiences I had in Yap and Palau were likely some of the best I will ever have. Completing my PADI Jr. Open Water certification with manta rays overhead was surely one of the greatest moments of my life.

The feeling I had when I was diving with 15-foot mantas and some 50-plus reef sharks daily was phenomenal, too amazing to fully describe. Just the idea of going there and doing that again will excite me forever.

Learning photography

The encouragement I received from Kids Sea Camp was amazing. The families I met became, and still are, some of my best friends and assets to my life. In Yap, Manta Ray Bay was where I properly learned photography. The support from all of my friends and family is the reason I have stuck with it (unlike a lot of other things I’ve tried). I loved every aspect of Yap, from the diving to the staff and the local people. I can safely say that experience has significantly contributed to who I am today

Getting back home to Bermuda, I was so passionate about saving sharks (with Palau being a shark sanctuary) that I set up a small organization called “Save Our Sharks Bermuda”. I collected over 1000 signatures and met with the Minister for the Environment to discuss and plan how best to protect our sharks. Bermuda then signed the “International Agreement on the Conservation of Pelagic Species”. I was so totally delighted about this because I had made an impact on Bermuda and the conservation of the sea.

Diving from a young age is exceptional

Having the privilege to be diving from a young age is exceptional. Through diving with Kids Sea Camp over the years, I have advanced through the PADI ranks from SASY, Seal Team, Jr. Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and Master Scuba Diver, with over 100 dives and 7 specialties.

This feels too good to describe. Having a place like Kids Sea Camp, to go through all the ranks, all the way to the top, is what I love the most. The experience has been fantastic. I couldn’t have done what I have without it.

I have made lifelong friends and have been encouraged by Margo in a way I could never repay. So thank you, Margo.

Margo deserves a whole part of my story for herself. Mrs. Peyton created the best organization that I have ever known. She has influenced me, trusted me, and helped me in every aspect of life. Margo has guided me through diving one step at a time, and with each step

I am even more grateful for her and my family finding her. She is very focused on safety and is an inspirational teacher who is helpful no matter what. She is the heart of Kids Sea Camp!

I just don’t know how to end this. So thanks, Mom, Dad, and sister Holly, too. Our family of divers just can’t get enough. FIJI is the next Kids Sea Camp — to dive with the sharks of Beqa Lagoon.

Galapagos Turtles are everywhere at Kids Sea Camp

15 May 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Seems like a turtle on every dive

Turtles were everywhere; on every dive in the Galapagos, it seemed like we had sea turtles. Note, I said sea turtles; normally, there were at least two or three per dive. I also want to note that there were almost zero jellyfish on the dives. So were the waters too cold for the jellyfish, or were the sea turtles spending their days in the Galapagos eating jelly, I don’t know.

Here are some amazing sea turtle images Margo took, believe it or not, on a snorkel trip, at Vincent Roca Point on Isabela Island in the Galapagos. On the same snorkel trip, I saw the biggest sea turtles of my dive career resting on a sandy bottom in ten feet of water. There had to be around twenty just sleeping in the shallow, cold, and green-tinted water.

Come join us in 2027 and 2028 (See link): Kids Sea Camp has created a family-friendly dive vacation aboard the liveaboard The Tiburon Explorer in the Galapagos Islands. This unique, one-of-a-kind family dive adventure is custom-designed for divers of all levels. We have planned a milder, more family-friendly diving schedule and itinerary suited to recreational divers.

You can also see more images on our website gallery

Ear clearing techniques for divers

22 October 202622 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

ears and diving, kids sea camp, clearing skills

You just can’t go diving with your ear blocked

Ear clearing and diving go hand in hand when you jump into the ocean. Here are a few ear-clearing techniques for divers that will help most divers equalize more easily.

In diving, the Valsalva maneuver is often used during descent to equalize the pressure in the middle ear with ambient pressure. Performed properly — pinching your nose shut while exhaling — most divers can descend without any problems. But for some divers, the technique doesn’t help.

You should never continue with descent if you are experiencing ear pain. But before you give up on a dive — or diving altogether — try a few of these ear-clearing techniques and suggestions.

Listen, you should hear a “click or pop.” Before you even board the boat, make sure that when you swallow, you hear a “click or pop” in both ears. This tells you that both Eustachian tubes are opening.
Start early. Several hours before the dive, begin gently equalizing your ears every few minutes. Some people can swallow or chew gum to clear their ears; this seems to help because it prompts them to swallow more often. I don’t recommend chewing gum while diving, as you may swallow it and choke.
Equalize at the surface. “Pre-pressurizing” at the surface helps most divers get past the critical first few feet of descent. It may also inflate your Eustachian tubes, making them slightly larger. Not all medical authorities recommend this, however. The lesson here is to pre-pressurize only if it seems to help you and to pressurize gently.
Descend feet first. Studies have shown a Valsalva maneuver requires 50 percent more force when you’re in a head-down position than head-up.
Look up. Extending your neck and wiggling your jaw tends to open your Eustachian tubes.
Use a descent line. Pulling yourself down on an anchor or mooring line helps control your descent rate more precisely. A line also helps you stop your descent quickly if you feel the pressure. Don’t rush just because others are faster. If you know you have trouble, let your buddy and/or the divemaster know so that someone is waiting with you. If on a recreational dive boat, the divemaster could give you a little more time by getting in first.
Stay ahead. Equalize often, trying to maintain a slight positive pressure in your middle ears. Don’t wait until you feel pressure or pain.
Stop if it hurts. Your Eustachian tubes are probably locked shut by the pressure differential. Ascend a few feet and try equalizing again.
Avoid milk. Some foods, including milk, can increase your mucus production.
Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Both tobacco smoke and alcohol irritate your mucus membranes, promoting more mucus that can block your Eustachian tubes.
Keep your mask clear. Water up your nose can irritate your mucous membranes, which then produce more of the stuff that clogs.

If you get congested during the dive and have trouble ascending, stop and try to clear, then ascend slowly. Use the anchor line if you need more control. Don’t dive with a cold or congestion.

Alternative Clearing Techniques

There are problems with the traditional Valsalva maneuver: It may not work if the tubes are already locked by a pressure differential, and it’s all too easy to blow hard enough to damage something. Divers who experience difficulty equalizing may find it helpful to master some alternative techniques.

Toynbee Maneuver. With your nostrils pinched or blocked against your mask skirt, swallow. Swallowing opens your Eustachian tubes, while the movement of your tongue, with your nose closed, compresses air against them.
Lowry Technique. A combination of Valsalva and Toynbee: while closing your nostrils, blow and swallow at the same time.
Edmonds Technique. While tensing the soft palate and throat muscles and pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva maneuver.
Frenzel Maneuver. Close your nostrils, and close the back of your throat as if straining to lift a weight. Then make the sound of the letter “K.” This forces the back of your tongue upwards, compressing air against the openings of your Eustachian tubes.
Voluntary Tubal Opening. Tense the muscles of the soft palate and the throat while pushing the jaw forward and down as if starting to yawn. These muscles pull the Eustachian tubes open. This requires a lot of practice, but some divers can learn to control those muscles and hold their tubes open for continuous equalization.